Apply based on the recruiting pathway the firm uses for your degree and graduation date, not simply on whether you will technically have graduated before the job starts.

One-year Master's programs can sit awkwardly between campus calendars, so the relevant deadline may occur while you are still a student. Waiting until after graduation can mean missing the structured cycle without making you a meaningful experienced hire.

A student graduating in June for an autumn start may still need to apply during the prior campus recruiting window even though there is a gap between graduation and joining.

Map the deadlines for each target office, check how your degree is classified, and ask recruiting or your career office if the timing is ambiguous. Do not wait for graduation just because the start date comes later.

One-year masters timelines are so compressed. I would check recruiting dates now, not at graduation.

Student recruiting can happen way earlier than the start date.